Friday, February 21, 2014

Think Big. Act Bold.

You might think that a retirement expert gets her
inspiration from other authors of retirement books. Not me.

I gain insight from authors writing about best business and
management practices, not from books describing the best vacation and
retirement communities. That’s why I’ve decided to take one book each month and
focus on 5 steps that can help you thrive in retirement.

“Don’t fear big—fear mediocrity” is
my mantra for 2014. When I’m pursuing something outside of my comfort zone,
when it would be easier to stay in the comfort of my home instead of speaking
in front of a standing-room only audience, I remind myself that this isn’t
mediocrity. Stressful—maybe, but not mediocre. I don’t need to fear getting too
big, having my passion take too much of my time or energy, I need to fear mediocrity.

If you feared mediocrity, what bold
actions would you take today?2. Big
thoughts go nowhere without bold action.Don’t let small thinking cut your life down to size.

Where are you thinking big? Where
are you acting bold? I often have people tell me they plan to downsize in
retirement. This may be appropriate when we’re talking about stuff—material
belongings, but it should never apply to our life expectations and dreams.
These are the wrong things to make small. Think big. Act bold. It’s too late to
play it safe.

3. Magic
never happens in the middle; magic happens at the extremes.

Retirement is the perfect time to
live life out of balance. What are you doing at the extremes? Magic happens
when we get deeply involved in something that we care about—acting with
purpose.

4. Circumstances
won’t change by themselves, so let’s get on with it.

What are you doing to change your circumstances? You play the
leading role in the circumstances of your life. Write a script that excites you
and begin to act it out, boldly.

5. The
best goal explores what’s possible.

Forget “doable” goals. Write these on a
to-do list and check them off. To create a retirement that makes you wake up
curious and eager to get started, you need stretch goals that are at the edge
of your current abilities. Almost impossible. Almost unreasonable. Think big.
Act bold.